Inkjet printing is a process of producing an image on a substrate, such as a sheet of paper. Inkjet printing is an additive process in which one or more printheads eject drops of ink onto the substrate to form the image on the substrate. The printheads are operated with reference to digital image data that represents the image to be printed. Printing a multicolored image generally requires at least one printhead for each color. Additionally, printing high resolution images often requires multiple printheads of the same color that are interlaced to provide the increased resolution. Accordingly, many inkjet printing systems comprise arrays of several printheads arranged in rows and columns.
FIG. 20 shows a prior art architecture for a scalable printhead array 100. The printhead array 100 includes a plurality of printhead assemblies 104. The printhead array 100 is configured to include a variable number of printhead assemblies 104 arranged into rows and columns in a variety of possible arrangements. As shown, the printhead array 100 is scalable up to 50″ in width and includes fourteen printhead assemblies 104. Each printhead assembly 104 is configured to receive a printhead 108 and to mount to frame 112 of the printhead array 100. FIG. 21 shows a more detailed view of one of the printhead assemblies 104 with a printhead 108.
To ensure optimal performance of an inkjet printhead, the printheads must be well-maintained. Typically maintenance operations include purging, capping, and wiping. Prior art mechanisms for printhead maintenance are not easily adapted for scalable printhead arrays. Being able to configure a printhead maintenance system so it is easily scalable for use with a scalable printhead array would be beneficial.